Forget TikTok dances and baking banana bread – flower arranging has become the biggest pastime of the year. And we’re not just talking about these crazy creations from hit TV series The Big Flower Fight, as Frankie Graddon discovers

No scroll through a social-media feed is now complete without viewing several dozen pictures of bloom-filled vases decorating shelves, mantelpieces and stylishly curated tablescapes. Fashion editors and influencers have even switched #outfitoftheday selfies for posts of their latest floral creations. Are begonias the new Balenciaga? Quite possibly.

Full disclosure: I’m not the flower-arranging type. For years, my idea of at-home floral design was buying a bouquet from the supermarket and chucking it into the nearest vase with a splash of water. Trimming stalks and sorting stems? No thanks – I don’t have the time. Yet since the days

PLAY Top Articles by Daily Mail Cuomo launches probe into high school graduation COVID‑19 cluster About Connatix V27199 Read More SPONSORED / Coming Next Skip Ad of lockdown, I have come over all green-fingered. The act of artfully placing flowers in a pot has become a cherished weekly ritual for me – and I’m not the only one.

Instagram hashtags #floraldesign and #ihavethisthingwithflowers currently have over a quarter of a million followers each, while Pinterest has seen a huge increase in floristry-related searches over the past few months, including ‘flower boxes’ (up 408 per cent) and ‘flowers to plant in spring’ (up 433 per cent). During last month’s Chelsea Flower Show, which took place virtually due to lockdown, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reported its busiest day in history, with enquiries from its members up a whopping 333 per cent year on year.

Even Netflix is backing the boom, with its new gardening competition The Big Flower Fight, in which contestants battle it out to create flora and fauna delights every episode. Judged by Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht (aka the Mary Berry of floristry), and with co-hosts Vic Reeves and Natasia Demetriou, it’s The Great British Bake Off with foliage and has been an overnight hit. Granted, flower arranging is hardly the sexiest of hobbies, so why the spike in popularity?

Taking it up during the lockdown period of a global pandemic makes sense, says RHS director of science Alistair Griffiths, given that it has a proven positive impact on our wellbeing. ‘Being surrounded by nature is physically beneficial; it lowers blood pressure and heart rate, among other things,’ says Griffiths, explaining that greenery also affects our cortisol levels, resulting in a reduction of stress. Left: For a wild, textured look, intersperse pretty shades with bursts of vibrant colour and greenery. Right: The Big Flower fight team, from left: guest judge simon lycett, judge Kristen Griffith-Vanderyacht and co-hosts Vic Reeves and Natasia Demetriou

There’s a valuable mindful element, too. ‘It’s called the theory of flow,’ Griffiths says. ‘You become so engaged in an activity – such as harvesting and arranging cut flowers – that you enter into an almost meditative state. It distracts from everyday life and allows you to […]